The beauty of the classic
Incomparable thermal baths, night boat rides, old ships converted into gigantic pubs, the largest synagogue in Europe... The getaway to the capital of Hungary, divided by the Danube River into two halves (Buda and Pest), is so affordable. as recommended. And it is that the exchange of euros to Hungarian forints (1 EUR = 311.86 HUF at the time of writing this article) will make us gain some purchasing power. When preparing your suitcase, keep in mind that the temperature is quite similar to the Spanish, but you have to add the humidity factor. And don't forget your swimsuit, there are almost 100 hot springs spread over 12 baths.
FRIDAY
5:00 p.m. We stayed in the neighborhood of Belváros, next to the eastern bank of the Danube (Pest), in the heart of the city. After leaving our suitcases, the first thing that catches our attention –apart from the humidity given off by the river– are the numerous souvenir shops, with matryoshka dolls as the star dish. If we want to buy souvenirs, we can buy them at any time and we will avoid being loaded all afternoon. On the way to the Parliament through Rue Bécsi, we can stop at the Michael Jackson Memorial Tree, located in one of the corners of the Erzsébet tér park . It is a tree spontaneously converted into a sanctuary by the fans of the King of Pop, who began using it on the day of his death to leave photographs, poems, lighted candles and the most unimaginable dedications there.
6:00 p.m. . We continue our walk to the Parliament along the banks of the Danube (Belgràdrakpart), thus enjoying views of the buda skyline (western part) across the river. Shortly after passing through the Chain Bridge (Széchenyi) and Roosevelt Square we will have arrived. This building, in addition to hosting the sessions of the National Assembly and the most important government agencies in the country, offers an extraordinary neo-gothic façade (a symbol of the city, the work of Imre Steind), a walk through its flowery outdoor gardens and free visits for citizens of the European Union.
The visual jewel of the city
7:30 p.m. The walk goes on Margaret Island, in the middle of the Danube, which is accessed through the homonymous bridge that is next to the Parliament. We rent one of the tandems that are like carts and we pedal through this islet full of vegetation and beautiful corners where to stop: the ruins of the Church of Santa Margarita, oriental-style gardens, the Church of San Miguel, the Torre del Agua... There, the Sziget Festival also takes place, a music festival that in August (this year, from 10 to 17) bring to the small island the best on the international scene (Rihanna and Muse among many others in 2016) and that usually has a Spanish band a (from Ska-P a, this August, Manu Chao) .
10:00 p.m. . After a quick dinner we went to have a drink to the Jewish quarter, in the heart of Pes t. There we will find the old buildings in ruins converted into pubs and called 'garden bars', similar in appearance to squats but privately run . They are worth seeing only for their bizarre decorations: graffiti, recycled furniture, computer monitors hanging from the walls... Tourists' favorite is the Szimpla (Kazinczy u. 14), with its gigantic terrace, its three floors and its innumerable nooks and crannies adorned with bathtubs, mannequins and even a car split in half.
Fun is something like this in Budapest
SATURDAY
10:00 a.m. There is no better way to get rid of a hangover than to visit a spa, so after enjoying the breakfast of champions on a terrace We take the metro towards Plaza de los Héroes (Hösök tere stop, penultimate on Line 1) . We will immediately see the monument to the Millennium, 36 meters high, with the archangel Gabriel on top. At their feet two rows of columns with the so-called heroes, allegorical statues that they pay tribute to work, well-being, wisdom, glory and peace. There we also find the Art Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts. But we headed our walk through the municipal park of Városliget to the Széchenyi Baths, the deepest and hottest in the city (The ticket costs about 17 euros to change). Countless swimming pools, jacuzzis and saunas in the interior, with a strong smell of sulfur in its waters. Outside, the hot pool, with the iconic chessboard to soak in a game , and the summer one, with a priceless jacuzzi in the center that every half hour turns into a whirlpool that spins bathers in a loop. We also find a terrace where we can drink or eat something, so we will spend a good part of the day here, until our skin wrinkles.
5:00 p.m. With our batteries charged after the thermal treatment, we are ready to cross towards Buda, the western half of the city. Specific we headed to the Castle, a World Heritage Site (Buses 16ª, 16, funicular and Batthynány ter Metro stop) . Located on the hill on the banks of the Danube, we have a kilometer and a half walk where we will find three churches, five museums, various monuments, streets and buildings of historical interest, apart from numerous bars and art galleries . All this together with the priceless panoramic views of Pest.
The castle, a World Heritage Site
8:00 p.m. After touring the Castle district, we return for a walk along the slopes of Mount Gellért to the Liberty Bridge, a wonderful place to watch the sunset with the skyline on both sides of the city over the river. When crossing it is worth stopping at the For Sale pub (Vamhaz korut, 2) . In addition to their live music and refreshing pints, Its floor catches our attention, covered with the shells of the infinite peanuts that they put out to snack on, and the walls, literally papered with notes, poems and dedications from everyone who passes by. We took the opportunity to have dinner listening to a blues duo in the background.
9:30 p.m. We haven't stopped the whole trip, so today's last ride we'll do riding on one of the night cruises that ply the Danube. They start at the port next to the Marrito Hotel and they cross under all the bridges that connect Buda with Pest (Libertad, Elisabeth, Cadenas, Margarita and Árpád), in addition to surrounding Isla Margarita. They cost about 4,000 Hungarian forints ( about 12 euros ) per person, is free for children up to nine years old and includes a drink **(we also have the option of dining on board) **.
The bizarre and attractive of the For Sale Pub
SUNDAY
10:00 a.m. The last morning of the trip we return to the Jewish quarter to visit the Dohány Street Great Synagogue, the largest in Europe , Byzantine-Moorish style and built in the mid-19th century by the Viennese architect Ludwig Föster. The boys have to put on one of their yarmulkes (hats, to keep in mind that God is above us at all times), and the girls cannot go with skirts or suspenders (it is considered inappropriate to see him). The ticket is also used to visit the church and the museum , which exhibits a collection of objects related to Jewish culture dating back to ancient Rome (historical relics, devotional objects...) . There we also find the Holocaust memorial, a weeping willow made of metal whose sheets each contain the name of a Jewish victim.
11:30 a.m. . We complete the morning with the visit to the House of Terror Museum, which, far from being dedicated to genre cinema, focuses on another type of horror that is more real and chilling: the one inflicted on the Hungarian people by the Nazis first (it was the headquarters of the National Socialists of the country in the winter of 1944) and l the communists then (in 1945 the ÁVH political police was installed, dedicated to persecuting and punishing the enemies of communism) . Four floors that document the harassment suffered by the victims, with their cells still standing and the iconic tank surrounded by photos of the fallen so as not to forget what happened there so that it does not happen again.
life between pools
1:00 p.m. We cannot leave the city without visiting its best spa, **located in the Gellért Hotel** (more than one of you will be familiar with the 1992 Danone yogurt ad). Sleeping there is prohibitive (there are European kings who have spent their honeymoon in their rooms), but surprisingly the entrance to the spa part is quite cheap (on our last visit there was an offer of food and bathroom for about 20 euros). After eating like a king in its luxurious facilities, we put on our swimsuit and go to business. The interior zones are separated by gender, with multitude of swimming pools, saunas and hot tubs. Outside, mixed use, we will find various outdoor pools (one of them with wave simulation) and grass esplanades where we can lie down with a towel. Ideal to return home soft as a feather and eager to return.